There was a great article in TIME magazine this week called “10 Things You Can Like About $4 Gas” that I recommend. I especially like #2, Sprawl Stalls. Maybe my dream not that long ago of suburbs turning into post-apocalyptic wastelands with empty superhighways connecting them isn’t so far off. It’s nice to see that people are finally looking for the positive in this situation. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely feeling squeezed by gas prices and rising food costs… Plus, I am sick of those forwarded emails telling me which gas stations to boycott so prices will lower. Read the article (especially if you are concerned about gas costs) and let me know what you think…
Hang up your clothes to dry. With global warming, it hardly takes any time at all to dry your clothes on a clothesline! It is a lot cheaper than a dryer, doesn’t use electricity (save even more money!) and your clothes last longer because there is less wear and tear on them. Why not? If you have a dryer and don’t want crunchy clothes, you can always throw in the clothes for a couple of minutes once they are done to fluff them up! If you are concerned about lint, then throw them in before hanging them up for a few minutes with the lowest possible heat setting, to save a little extra. If the neighbors don’t like it, I think it is time for them to reevaluate their priorities. Plus, being green is trendy… Also, use a retractable clothesline, so you don’t have it out all of the time. Finally, don’t leave out your clothes over-night if you can, so that animals don’t decide to hang out there…
When someone is out car shopping, what is it that makes them decide that they need a Yukon XL versus the regular Yukon??
“I was really hoping I could find an SUV that seats 15…”
I am so happy to see that these vehicles are slowly coming out of style. I know I live in TX, the world of big trucks and big SUVs, but I think gas prices are finally forcing these things off of the road.
David
PS Nothing personal to all you yukon drivers… It could have been suburbans or tahoes or denalis or escalades or hummers or anything else…
This weekend, I participated in the Urban Assault Race, which is an event hosted by New Belgium Brewing Company. It was a pretty incredible event. Over 1300 cyclists of all shapes, sizes, speeds, and ages descended upon Austin on Sunday morning. We had to stop at 12 checkpoints, four of which were mystery checkpoints with no specific order or route. There were bikers riding all over town and it was great. The whole event was a way to encourage people to commute by bike and to have a good time. At each checkpoint, there was a fun activity or obstacle that the teams of two had to do. It was a blast and I highly recommend it. It really helps you realize how things that you always thought were far away really aren’t… Plus, there was beer and fajitas at the end… Anyway, below is a video by the folks at New Belgium Brewing.
